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This week, we check out city beaches in New York, Venice and Amsterdam.

New York
New York’s city beaches were on the front line when Hurricane Sandy hit last October. Cool kid hangout Rockaway in Queens took a big hit but a huge clear-up operation has brought it back to life and it has recently opened its first design hotel. Each of the 12 rooms at Playland Motel are designed by different artists. Williamsburg-based Kate Pane called her room Coconut Castle and inside is a tribute to ‘girlhood’ with paintings of ponies, glitter and bikinis.From £96 per night. www.playlandmotel.com. www.nycgo.com

Blijburg aan Zee in Amsterdam (Picture: supplied)

Amsterdam
The new Ijburg district in Amsterdam, which is 20 minutes by tram from the city centre, is a collection of six artificial islands that have been built to encourage locals to move out of the crowded city. It is home to Blijburg aan Zee, a 250m-long beach, which is a hive of activity in summer thanks to its sandcastle contests, outdoor concerts and exhibitions. When the sun goes down,
the beach turns into a dance floor and the locals party in true Amsterdam style.www.iamsterdam.com

Lido di Venezia in Venice (Picture: Alamy)

Venice
Stretch out on Lido di Venezia’s sandy beach from August 28 and you may find yourself in A-list company for the Venice Film Festival, which is held on the island every year. The lido (left) is formed of a long, thin sandbar and although the public beach can get overcrowded, wily tourists hire bikes and head south to the chilled-out Alberoni resort, which has quiet pizzerias and a WWF-protected area.www.venice-tourism.com